Anyone here use Lehmans Space-Saving Laundry Airer?

CountryGoalie · #1 12/12/10, 06:21 AM

Hello! My husband and I are moving to a new apartment on a farm where we will be caretaking for the owners' horses, and doing some groundskeeping... and we'll have washer/dryer hookup!

No more trips to the laundromat or my parents' washer and dryer!

The catch is, the dryer hookup is LP... and the nearest LP dryers I'm finding on Craigslist are south of Binghamton (2.5+ hours) or down near NYC (over 5 hours)... a bit out of traveling range. So, since we're heating with a woodstove, I thought I'd look into indoor drying options until the right dryer comes down the road, and I was looking at Lehmans Space-Saving Laundry Airer, to perhaps attach near our wood stove.

Does anyone here have any experience with this laundry airer? See it here: http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Go...32820100?Args=

I would love to hear about pros/cons... heck, I would love to hang our laundry outdoors but living in a lake effect snow belt, that's not exactly, ah... conducive to drying in the winter. But, I figured we have lots of space near the stove... and the outside line can wait until spring.

Thanks for any input you guys can give me on whether or not this item is worth the price, or directions on making something similar, or what has worked / doesn't work for you - I appreciate it!

Edit:
I am also looking at their "floor" model of laundry airer: http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Go...orDryers?Args=

Are they worth the greater price over a unit similar that I can get at, say, Target? I'm assuming they would be, since I've heard Lehmans makes a good product, and your typical Target/Walmart item is made in China, but thought I'd ask.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 12/12/10, 07:29 AM

I'd look at the one at Target, and if it's sturdy enough for your needs, get that one.

Our Little Farm · #3 12/12/10, 07:50 AM

If you can find the same one at Target and you are trying to save pennies, I'd go for that instead.

A plus for the ones that you pull up high to the ceiling is that the clothes will dry faster being high.

The best thing I have found for drying clothes is a front loading washing machine. The clothes come out almost dry and take no time at all to finish. We hang some on hangers over our shower rod in the unheated bathroom and they still dry within a few hrs.

Belfrybat · #4 12/12/10, 08:17 AM

Ditto OLF's recommendation for using a front-load washer for fast drying. I'm saving my pennies for one. My mother had a ceiling pulley made of wood that is similar to what's pictured. Worked fine, but could only dry a small amount as it had only four poles. But it worked very well on those days we couldn't hang outside.

backtotheland · #5 12/12/10, 08:43 AM

I would think it would work great with wood heat since heat rises. When I heated with wood I used one of the big wooden clothes dryers and had great results, when the kittens we had at the time would leave the clothes on there.

buffalocreek · #6 12/12/10, 09:01 AM

I've used the floor model for years and wouldn't dream of using a wasteful dryer. Just wouldn't pay Lehman's high price for it.

rancher1913 · #7 12/12/10, 09:03 AM

we use the floor one for socks and undies, the larger stuff we hang on a 15 foot coat rack mounted on a wall. haven't needed or wanted a dryer for a long wile.

Fae · #8 12/12/10, 09:22 AM

I have a floor model bought from walmart and it works just fine.

Beeman · #9 12/12/10, 12:16 PM

Surely you can make that for little or nothing, maybe I'm missing something.

jwal10 · #10 12/12/10, 12:32 PM

I wash clothes in a laundry sink or manual washing ball. I built my own drier, it is a block screwed to the wall. The block has 6 flats with holes drilled at a slight angle and a 1/2" dowel 2' long that slides into the hole. Looks kind of like this but does not fold. just pull out the dowels....James

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Go...___65FCD?Args=

PD-Riverman · #11 12/12/10, 12:52 PM

In the room you are going to use, find a stud in the wall, screw in a good size eye bolt stud high on the wall----go to the other side the room, find stud and screw in another eye bolt. Now get some clothes line rope or cable and 2 hooks, make your line the length it needs to be to be tight but where you can unhook each end. Now wash your clothes, hang them on your new line----when dry, remove clothes, unhook line and store, you can hang a hat or something over the eye bolts if you want them hid. If you need more lines------Just repeat the above directions on the next stud---LOL. This will not cost but a few bucks. Have Fun

silverbackMP · #12 12/12/10, 01:10 PM

Any gas dryer should be able to use LP. It takes a very inexpensive conversion kit.

City Bound · #13 12/12/10, 02:40 PM

I have a floor model type and it works well. It takes longer to dry clothes this way, especially in winter, so plan ahead or you might find yourself in a bind. Clothes lines outdoors in summer are the quickest and best dryer I have ever encountered.

The first one, the one that goes on the cieling, they use to use those a lot in scotland. They put them in the kitchen above the stove. the stove made the clothes dry quicker. some people put them over wood stoves in winter.

Our Little Farm · #14 12/12/10, 02:45 PM

You may want to look at something like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Leifheit-83040...183015&sr=8-13

We had one at our small cabin and it worked great.

MikesMate · #15 12/12/10, 05:14 PM

I have the "floor" model from Lehman's. Love it. Have had it for about 6 years and use only it and my clothesline, got rid of my dryer. It's very well made, haven't had any problems with it whatsoever.

meanwhile · #16 12/12/10, 05:24 PM

We use two of the floor model types and have no trouble with it. We use them year round. In winter, when the heat is on, I set them on top of a floor vent. Summer times we turn a fan on if we need faster dry times.

We also have a regular clothes line we hung in our laundry - mud room. It goes across the whole room and I can hang up clothes on it too. And if I need something dry faster, I just blow a fan on them.

Another time, when I wanted the dry rack out of the way, we just tied it with ropes and hung from the porch ceiling. It worked like the one you showed in the photo......just I did not pay $74 for it!

Good luck.

Danaus29 · #17 12/12/10, 05:34 PM

I've got a sturdier floor model than the one you posted. I bought mine at Meijer but they don't show it online. I also have a wobbly wood rack that I haven't used in a while, a portable "closet" unit (on wheels, like a coat hanging roll around closet accessory, can't remember what it's called) and a retractible clothes line.

My electric dryer broke just about a year ago. Just haven't really needed to replace it yet. And look at all the money I'm saving! Yes it would be nice to have the dryer again for blankets and sheets, those can be washed only when the weather outside is nice.

(I didn't pay $70 for all the drying units I have.)

Deb862 · #18 12/12/10, 06:52 PM

I also purchased 2 of the floor models like 10 years ago. Yes, they are expensive, and yes, you can get a cheapo model at WM and/or Target BUT, in my experience, you definitely get what you pay for. I've used the cheap ones and they just do not hold up well at all. The ones we purchased from Lehman's can hold just about anything you throw on them. Even though we live in teh city now we use them daily instead of the dryer. We use them for everything from socks and underwear to heavy things like jeans and blankets and we definitely load them up with clothes LOL!

Goldie · #19 12/12/10, 07:58 PM

I also have two of Lehman's floor models that I purchased almost ten years ago. They are sturdy and don't topple when fully loaded with wet clothes or heavy items. I can even scoot the dryers across the floor when it has clothes on it, and it is very well balanced. I am like Deb862, I load them up.

HOTW · #20 12/13/10, 09:41 AM

My dryer broke over a year ago and since then I have done laundry either out on th eline(I am not far from you about an hour west) on windy days(still slightly damp -finish it inside). I do have a front loader washer which helps a lot. I have a triple clothes line strung up thru the rafter in the basement laundry area, I also have an accordian wood rack not liek those in lehmans th e accordian is horizontal (I purchased it in Ithaca NY at a natural products store- a great place to get ideas also got my stainless steel kitchen compost bucket there) it was more expensive but I cna really load it up.I also have 2 of the cheaper ones that i use for socks etc but ti find th edowels on those break easier so its good for small articles that dont hang down and touch the other stuff on the rack.

http://www.homegreenhome.com/index.shtml